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scholarly and non-scholarly resources

The chart below highlights the characteristic differences between scholarly and non scholarly (popular) resources:


Scholarly Sources Non-Scholarly Sources
The articles are usually written by experts / scholars in a discipline May be written by professional writers / journalists who may lack expertise in the subject
The audience includes academics, researchers and students The audience is the general public and is less formal in tone and style
Publishers are usually professional organizations, associates, scholarly presses, or universities Publishers are commercial businesses
Sources of information are always cited in bibliographies and/or footnotes Sources of information are rarely cited
Text includes research results and specialized vocabulary Text includes opinions or reports events
Generally, articles are text based, with few pictures, ads or graphics Articles often include pictures and graphics
Authors and their institutional affiliation are always named Authors may be anonymous




University of Alberta   |   Department of Psychology   |   2010   |   Credits to...